1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to Power Over Ethernet, and specifically to Power Source Equipment connectors with integrated controllers operating in a semi-automatic, and fully automatic mode.
2. Background Art
Ethernet communications provide high speed communications between data terminals. For example, a switch may be one data terminal and an IP Phone may be another data terminal. Power over Ethernet configurations provide power over the same transmission lines (e.g. twisted pair, cable, etc) that carry the data. The power is generated at the Power Source Equipment (PSE) side of the transmission line and is carried over the data transmission lines to a Powered Device (PD). For example, a switch (PSE) may connect power to an IP phone (PD) that has been activated.
A PSE controller is typically used for power management of the connected Powered Device. For example, a PSE controller typically detects whether a valid PD device is active, and manages and classifies the power flow to the PD.
The PSE controller is typically separate from both the magnetics and from the connector. For example, often a RJ45 connector can be used to connect the PSE to the data transmission lines. The connector can often include the magnetics required to separate the data from power on the PSE side.
What is needed is a PSE connector configuration that leverages integration in the PSE connector, including a semi-automatic and stand alone solutions.